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NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS'
DAWGS #1
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
Tillery Named Public Library
Champion of the Year
See Page 9A
tttE
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
Vol. 124 NO. 2
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
January 12, 2022
I have come to the
conclusion that
politics is too serious
a matter to be left to
the politicians.
- Charles de Gaulle
News
BYTES
MLK Parade
January 17
Dr. Charles Steele, Jr.,
national president of
the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference,
will be grand marshal for
the 6th Annual Martin
Luther King Parade on
Monday, January 17.
The parade will begin
at 11 a.m. at Jackson
and First Street in
downtown Vidalia. The
event is being sponsored
by Community Men
in Action. For more
information, call Michael
Johnson at 478-494-8253
or Celester Kelly at 912-
805-9900.
Double Homicide
Shooter Still on the Run
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE - Crime scene tape marks the site of a double homicide that occurred Thursday, January 6, on Fifth Street in Vida
lia. Authorities are asking for help from fhe public in solving fhe case.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
A suspect in the shooting
deaths of two Vidalia women
is still on the run, according to
the Georgia Bureau of Investi
gation, which is assisting local
police in probing the case.
Authorities are looking for a
male suspect who has not been
positively indentified but was
seen leaving the crime scene in
a blue 2021 Nissan Rogue with
a broken window, and Georgia
License Plate RRX1184.
Vidalia police officers were
en route to a domestic dispute
at 802 E. 5th Street on Thursday,
January 6, around 12:55 p.m.
when a second emergency call
was received regarding a shoot
ing at the same address. Upon
Please see Homicide page 2A
Chamber
Annual Meeting
February 3
Registration is open
for the Greater Vidalia
Chamber's annual
meeting on February 3.
The event, featuring the
Swingin' Medallions, will
be held at the Vidalia
Community Center.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $50. Call
912-537-4466 or email
Debbie at debbiee@
greatervidaliachamber.
com for more
information.
Quilts and
Quilters
Wanted!
The Altama Museum is
hosting a quilt show in
February. Flandmade
submissions both new
and vintage/antique are
sought. If you would like
to submit a quilt, please
call 912.537.1911 or
email altama@bellsouth.
net no later than January
15.
Officer-Involved
Shooting in Lyons
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation is probing an officer-
involved shooting
that occurred in
Lyons on Sunday,
January 9, and left
a suspect wounded.
The Lyons Po
lice Department
and the Georgia
State Patrol asked
the GBI to conduct
an independent in
vestigation follow
ing the incident that
led to the arrest of Charles Tava-
ris James, 32, of Vidalia, and the
injury of Taliyah Williams, 17, of
Vidalia. No officers were injured
in the incident.
James is being held in the
Toombs County Detention Cen-
Charles Tavaris
James
ter on aggravated assault charg
es. Other warrants against him
may be outstanding, said Lyons
Police Chief Wesley Walker.
The GBI reported that
shortly after mid
night Lyons police
officers responded
to a bank alarm call,
and while check
ing the bank heard
shots being fired.
Officers called dis
patch at 12:11 a.m.
stating they heard
shots fired and Dis
patch also received
a 911 call about
shots fired near CKT
trailer park at 254 East Clifton
Avenue in Lyons.
After officers responded
to the area where gunfire was
heard, they saw someone, later
Please see Shooting page 2A
Vehicle Rams Steakhouse,
Four Persons Injured
Submitted Photo
BUSINESS TAKES A HIT - J&B's Steakhouse in Vidalia was heavily
damaged when a woman drove her vehicle into the front of the
business Friday night, Four persons were injured.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
A woman who drove her
car into the front of J&B’s
Steakhouse Friday injuring
four people has been referred
for mental health assessment
following an investigation
by the Vidalia Police Depart
ment.
Please see J&B page 2A
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 8A
Your Mind On Line Page 10A
Sports Page 1 B
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Legislators Preview Upcoming Sessions
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
UPCOMING TOPICS - Senator Blake Tillery (left) and Representa
tive Leesa Hagan (right) interacted with the audience during a
legislative luncheon hosted by the Greater Vidalia Chamber.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
U.S. Congressman Rick Allen,
R-12, District 19 Senator Blake
Tillery, R-Vidalia, and District
156 Representative Leesa Hagan,
R-Lyons, provided a preview of
what they expect to be hot items
in the upcoming legislative ses
sions. The lawmakers offered their
predictions at the Greater Vidalia
Chamber Legislative Luncheon
on Thursday in Lyons.
Congressman Allen con
centrated his statements around
concerns regarding workforce,
education, mandates, economic
struggles, and elections. Allen
also informed the public of his
involvement with the ongoing Su
preme Court of the United States
case regarding the Occupational
Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) vaccine mandate, which
began on Friday.
This case involves states man
dating any business with more
than 100 employees to be fully
vaccinated. “Congress did not
Please see Luncheon page 9A
